Jodi Benson
Jodi Marie Benson is an American voice actress, actress, and soprano singer, best known for her starring role as Ariel in Disney's highly-successful animated feature film The Little Mermaid, beating voice actress Melissa Fahn after several callback auditions. In 1989, Benson (working as a Broadway star at the time) made her theatrical debut as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. The filmmakers felt that it was necessary to have both Ariel's speaking and singing voices played by the same person, and therefore considered her a perfect candidate. She also briefly voiced Vanessa (Ursula's alter ego) on behalf of Pat Carroll. Benson's vocal talents were given critical acclaim from a wide variety of film critics. It was for this film that she recorded her signature song "Part of Your World", which audiences around the world have grown to know and love. The success of The Little Mermaid spawned an animated TV series in the mid-90s, followed by two direct-to-video sequels (the first in 2000 and the second in 2008). Benson has continued to reprise her role as Ariel in most Disney-related media, including the animated television series House of Mouse (in which she also voiced Belle from Beauty and the Beast on behalf of Paige O'Hara). Benson is also famous for voicing several other Disney characters from various films and television series, including Weebo in Flubber, Barbie in Toy Story 2 and 3 as well as Hawaiian Vacation, Helen of Troy in the Hercules TV series and Zero to Hero, Lady in Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure, and Anita in 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure. In 2007, Benson even landed a supporting role as Sam in Enchanted, which remains one of Benson's few live-action film roles to-date and her only Disney-related one. In August 2011, Benson was honored as a Disney Legend alongside fellow Disney Princess voice actresses Paige O'Hara, Lea Salonga, and Anika Noni Rose. In addition to reprising her role as Ariel in the Sofia the First special The Floating Palace, Benson also voiced Queen Emmaline. She also voices a character in Tales From the Resistance: Back to the 2nd Dimension. Disney Roles Arielfunny.jpg|'Ariel' The Little Mermaid franchise Vanessa._Jpg|'Vanessa' The Little Mermaid Belle2.jpg|'Belle' House of Mouse Ladydisney.png|'Lady' Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure Atta0004.png|'Atta' A Bug's Life (video game) 36801c003e_TS3_Barbie_TC_HR1-202x300.jpg|'Barbie' Toy Story Unnamed Lady.png|'Unnamed Lady' Emmaline.png|'Queen Emmaline' Sofia the First Robot -35.png|'Weebo' Flubber HelenTroy.jpg|'Helen of Troy' Hercules: The Animated Series 101dalmatians 150.jpg|'Anita Radcliffe' 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure Lastelle's Mother.jpg|'Lastelle's Mother' Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Disney dub) Sam.jpg|'Sam' Enchanted Nasira.jpg|'Nasira' Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge StarvsEvil Singing Teacher.png|'Singing Teacher' Star vs. the Forces of Evil Healing Fairy.jpg|'Healing Fairy' Secret of the Wings Gallery Howard Ashman with Jodi Benson recording.jpg|Howard Ashman giving helpful supervisions on Jodi Benson's recording of Part of Your World. Jodi Benson.jpg Jodi Benseon D23.jpg|Jodi Benson at D23 Expo 2017. Category:American film actresses Category:Singers Category:1960s births Category:Disney Legends Category:American actor-singers Category:American voice actresses Category:Actresses Category:The Little Mermaid Category:Disney's House of Mouse Category:Kingdom Hearts Category:Disney Fairies Category:Females Category:People Category:People from Illinois Category:Sofia the First Category:Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Category:Hercules Category:Annie Award Nominated Category:Phineas and Ferb Category:A Bug's Life Category:Lady and the Tramp Category:Disney Renaissance Category:101 Dalmatians Category:Toy Story Category:Enchanted Category:Whispers An Elephant's Tale Category:Pixar actors and actresses Category:Studio Ghibli Category:Star vs. the Forces of Evil Category:American actresses Category:Flubber Category:Video Game voice actors Category:American television actresses Category:Voice actresses Category:Wreck-It Ralph Category:Peter Pan Category:Aladdin